geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: karlito on Sun, 04 May 2008, 16:44:44

Title: my FKB104M/EB is squeaking :(
Post by: karlito on Sun, 04 May 2008, 16:44:44
i think im going to cry my filco has started squeaking when i press the keys... sigh... might have to spray some wd40 on it :*(

so much money and i think this puppy is just going to get cracked open and i will return to my G15
Title: my FKB104M/EB is squeaking :(
Post by: iMav on Sun, 04 May 2008, 16:48:58
They keys themselves squeak individually?  Or is it the chassis that is squeaking somehow when you put pressure on it (in the case, when you press the keys)???
Title: my FKB104M/EB is squeaking :(
Post by: xsphat on Sun, 04 May 2008, 16:56:37
Mine is solid as a rock and I pound on it. Sorry man.
Title: my FKB104M/EB is squeaking :(
Post by: karlito on Sun, 04 May 2008, 17:07:33
Quote from: iMav;4391
They keys themselves squeak individually?  Or is it the chassis that is squeaking somehow when you put pressure on it (in the case, when you press the keys)???


it's the individual keys (not all of them of coarse) the space bar is the worst. i might just pop caps off and see...
Title: my FKB104M/EB is squeaking :(
Post by: karlito on Sun, 04 May 2008, 18:30:09
hmm on further investigation it seems like it was only the spacebar squaking. i removed that metal braket thingy and it no long squeaks but the key feels super weird...
Title: my FKB104M/EB is squeaking :(
Post by: IBI on Mon, 05 May 2008, 11:59:41
The metal bracket is the stabiliser, it's there to stop the big keys feeling wierd when you hit them off centre :)

They seem to be pretty similar between keyboards so maybe have a look and see if you've got any other keyboards around with matching ones?
Title: my FKB104M/EB is squeaking :(
Post by: Donut on Tue, 06 May 2008, 20:29:21
Quote from: karlito;4395
hmm on further investigation it seems like it was only the spacebar squaking. i removed that metal braket thingy and it no long squeaks but the key feels super weird...


Without the stabilising bar, pressing at either end of the space bar could (over time) result in the key cap or slider of the key switch being damaged.

Try putting a small amount of lubricant (e.g. vaseline/petroleum jelly) on the parts of the key where the bar went. I haven't seen your exact model of keyboard, but typically there are two U-shaped recesses on the underside of the space bar, and two parts on the keyboard base that hold the bar. Just lube up those, re-install the bar and hopefully you'll be squeak-free.

(One way to not over-apply the lubricant might be to dip a pin in it, then rub the pin where you want the lube to go.)